Overview

I have spent the last 12 years translating event production challenges into repeatable products and services. Building products that actually solve problems begins with a simple mindset change. Start with the problem, not the technology. Talk to people who live the problem every day. Observe workflows. Prototype small, measure impact, and iterate.

From virtual event platforms to on-site AV playbooks, the same principles apply. You do not need perfect features on day one. You need a clear hypothesis about the outcome your customers want and a way to validate it quickly.

Why It Matters

When you build features without understanding the underlying problem, you waste time and money. For events and AV this means failed setups, unhappy stakeholders, and lost revenue. Products that solve real problems improve reliability, reduce overhead, and increase customer trust.

In the era of hybrid events and distributed teams, small inefficiencies scale into major failures. Getting the basics right yields outsized returns: better ROI for customers, simpler operations for teams, and a foundation you can productize and sell.

Application in Corporate AV

In corporate AV I focus on outcomes like predictable setup time, minimal failure modes, and clear ownership. Start by mapping the entire event journey with stakeholders. Use collaborative tools like Miro (https://miro.com) or Figma (https://www.figma.com) to capture workflows and pain points.

Build a minimum viable solution that addresses the biggest blocker. That might be a standardized kit and checklist, a cloud routing template, or a lightweight control interface that reduces operator error. For streaming stacks I often prototype with OBS Studio (https://obsproject.com) or test connectivity with platforms like Zoom (https://zoom.us) and vMix (https://www.vmix.com). For distribution, validate on services such as YouTube Live (https://www.youtube.com/live) or Vimeo (https://vimeo.com).

Measure simple, meaningful metrics: setup time, mean time to recovery, NPS from stakeholders, and direct cost per event. Use those numbers to iterate and to package your solution as a repeatable service. Create playbooks, runbooks, and training so the work scales beyond the original team.

Finally, product thinking means pricing what you build and creating a feedback loop. Offer trial pilots, gather qualitative feedback, and be ruthless about removing complexity. The result is a product that operators trust, stakeholders buy, and your organization can scale across events and locations.